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Some of Hong Kong’s finest are celebrated in the Race History of the 2018 Champions Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Able Friend was a strong winner in 2015. We should see a very competitive 2018 Champions Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
2018 CHAMPIONS MILE - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Champions Mile is a G1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for the milers at Sha Tin conducted by Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Champions Mile is run over 1600m. It was first run in 2001 and won by Red Pepper.
The Champions Mile is the only one of Hong Kong’s 12 Group 1 contests to have been established after the turn of the millennium.
The race was established initially as a HKG1 contest, designed as a finale for Hong Kong’s star milers, and it was the Brian Kan-trained Red Pepper that scored under Eric Legrix.
The race obtained Group 1 status in 2007 after being allowed as an open international race in 2005.
Two internationally trained horses have won the Champions Mile – Variety Club and Maurice.
2017 winner Contentment gave trainer John Size a third win in the Champions Mile. John Moore is the only trainer to have more wins in this race than Size, scoring six times since 2007.
Brett Prebble notched his third Champions Mile win with Contentment in 2017, making him the most successful jockey in this race. He is followed by reigning champion jockey Joao Moreira and retired rider Darren Beadman at two wins apiece.
Japanese star Maurice had a love affair with Sha Tin winning a Hong Kong Mile, a Champions Mile and ended his career with a huge Hong Kong Cup win.
He is one of only three overseas horses to have won three races in Hong Kong. Winning this race five months after his success in the 2015 Hong Kong Mile, he completed the trio when taking the Hong Kong Cup later in 2016.
Last year Rapper Dragon was a very short priced favourite after a series of spectacular efforts including the Derby. He was expected to score but was sluggish out of the gates and then broke down at the 700m mark. Sadly he broke the pelvis and couldn’t be saved.
Only four favourites have won this race in the last 17 editions, most recently Maurice in 2016 and Able Friend in 2015. The latter, sent off at odds of 1.2, is the shortest-priced winner in Champions Mile history.
The Champions Mile is worth HK$18m in 2018.
Some notable winners of the Champions Mile include Maurice (2016), Able Friend (2015), Dan Excel (2013), Xtension (2011/2012), Able One (2007/2010), Good Ba Ba (2008), Bullish Luck (2005/2006), Electronic Unicorn (2003) and Jeune King Prawn (2002).
The 2017 Champions Mile was won by Contentment from Beauty Only and Helene Paragon.